User:Chikezie Emmanuel Uzuegbunam

Growing up

Chikezie Emmanuel Uzuegbunam hails from Nnobi, a centre-stage town in Idemili-South Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. He was born on 7th September in the mid-80s. He was born in Onitsha and was raised in Onitsha, Nnobi and Enugu by Christian parents and grandparents. Chikezie from early childhood had always been a quiet and reserved, yet brilliant child. He was known for his keen penchant for education, teaching others, academics and religion. Through all his education, Chikezie excelled as the best student in all his classes and was always humoured as "the teachers' favourite". His favourite pastimes were reading, singing, writing and teaching other people. He joined his church choir at age 14.

Education

Uzuegbunam had his primary education at Obi Memorial Primary School, Nnobi and O'connor Memorial Primary School, Onitsha. After passing his First School Leaving Certificate Examination with Distinction, he proceeded to Metropolitan College Onitsha for his secondary school education. When he completed his junior secondary education at Metropolitan College, he made a decision to discontinue in the college and move to Enugu to complete his senior secondary education there. This decision was based on the incessant strike actions that disrupted his junior college education in Anambra State. When he moved to Enugu to stay with his aunt, he enrolled at the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC) Enugu where he completed his college and sat for his SSCE, with results in flying colours. When his application to study Law at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) didn't pull through, he enrolled to do a pre-degree diploma program in Mass Communication in the same institution. He graduated with a Distinction and was offered an automatic Direct Entry to the Bachelor's programme in the same discipline. It was all providence as he would later realise that Communication and Media was to be a field God had ordained for him to be in. It is on record that his excellent performance in his Diploma programme that earned him a Distinction was to be the first ever distinction the Department of Mass Communication at UNIZIK would be having in any of their academic programmes. Chikezie's academic excellence did not stop there as he emerged in 2010, the Best Graduating Student of his class, a feat that was to later earn him a Graduate Assistantship position with the same department. His application was endorsed by his mentor, the then Head of Mass Communication, Prof Kate Azuka Omenugha and was approved by the then Vice Chancellor, Prof Boniface Egboka. This appointment came in December 2012, by which time Chikezie was already enrolled in a Master's programme in Mass Communication at Nnamdi Azikiwe University. In 2014, he completed his Master's and graduated as the best student in his set. He missed Distinction by a hair's breadth. Bothered that all his degrees were all from same university and same department, Chikezie vowed to grab the next opportunity to study overseas for his doctorate. At the moment, he is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Film and Media, in University of Cape Town - Africa's number one best university.

Academic Life

Having been employed as Graduate Assistant in December 2012, Chikezie Uzuegbunam, upon completion of his M.Sc. was upgraded to the rank of Assistant Lecturer. In 2015, he was upgraded again to the rank of Lecturer II according to the University academic policy.